The Walking Seminar is an monthly walk, hosted by Annemarie Mol, during which we talk-walk about various issues concerning academic work. The idea is that talking-while-walking enhances thinking in ways not attainable behind a desk or in a seminar sitting down.

zondag 3 december 2017

Friday 24 november

The weather forecast had threatened us with rain the entire week and only in the last instance was a bit more optimistic. And we fell lucky. When in Castricum station we stood in a circle so that everyone could present herself to the others, the sun appeared behind the clouds. And it stayed with us the rest of the afternoon.

Most of the talk-walkers assembled had participated in a workshop on ‘valuing plants’ the previous day. So though our call was to widely address the topic of valuing*, there were lots of plants roaming through the various conversations. But not just plants. Also water. Dunes. Sand.

Markets. Adverts. Money. Labour. Justice. Energy quota.

Many of us were new to each other. But the format of the walking seminar worked its magic and we had spirited conversations. Each time until the timer signalled that it was time to talk with someone else again.

*Here’s a description of this edition’s topic “valuing”:

What if we shift from the noun, values (that people may have) to the verb, to value (which people may do), or its gerund, valuing? Valuing is an activity; done in diverse practices and in diverse ways. Lives are being valued (worthwhile, difficult, and so on); commodities are being valued (priced, coveted, thrown out); plants are being valued (as green, beautiful, edible). And so on. Texts are being valued, too (interesting! unclear! not new!). All this valuing goes in the practices we study as well as in the practices relevant to doing research. Where is it explicated, where implied? Where is it spoken, where performed in other ways? How to dig it up modes of valuing and put then into the spotlight? When to respect silences and/or be silent ourselves and withhold (moralising, predictable, too easy) evaluations? How do our questions, methods, and so on, always already include concerns, worries, appreciations? How to live with our research and/or our selves being evaluated – valued – by others? How handle the professional task of valuing the work of our students and colleagues? More than enough questions to ask. And your research may call up yet other valuing related things to discuss while walking.